{"id":53683,"date":"2023-09-27T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/?p=53683"},"modified":"2023-12-18T15:49:57","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T15:49:57","slug":"why-you-shouldnt-yell-at-customer-service-agents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hyken.com\/customer-service-strategies\/why-you-shouldnt-yell-at-customer-service-agents\/","title":{"rendered":"Why You Shouldn\u2019t Yell at Customer Service Agents \u2013 And More"},"content":{"rendered":"\"managingSomeone asked me a question: Sometimes I\u2019m so frustrated when I call a company\u2019s customer service number. I try to be nice, but that doesn\u2019t always work. What do you think if I yell at them?<\/em>\r\n\r\nHere is my answer: A couple of old expressions come to mind. First, \u201cThe squeaky wheel gets the oil,\u201d which means if you make enough noise, you might get some action. On the other hand, another expression might be more appropriate for these situations: \u201cYou catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.\u201d So, be friendly but stern. At the beginning of the conversation, note the agent\u2019s name and try to build a rapport. This also gives you a name to reference if you aren\u2019t getting your problem resolved. Be direct about the problem, but don\u2019t lose your temper. If you feel you\u2019re getting angry, stop and pause. You can ask for a supervisor. And if you really think you are 100% right and the customer support agent is wrong, consider ending the call and calling back to speak with a different agent who may respond differently. I\u2019m amazed at how often I call a company and talk to two or more people, getting a different answer each time.<\/em>\r\n

So that\u2019s my advice for the customer.<\/h3>\r\nNow, let\u2019s switch to the business on the receiving end of the customer\u2019s disappointment and anger and discuss the problem.\r\n\r\nI\u2019ve covered how to handle angry customers<\/a> many times, so let\u2019s not go there again. If you go to www.CustomerServiceArticles.com<\/a>, you will find many articles covering that topic. Instead, I want to emphasize the last part of my response to the question: sometimes, customer service agents \u2013 and other employees \u2013 have different answers to the same questions. The problem is a training issue.\r\n\r\nMy comment about not being surprised about getting different answers comes from my experience that companies don\u2019t often focus on answers to common sense questions. The reason is that the answers should be common sense. But that doesn\u2019t guarantee a consistent response from one employee to the next.\r\n\r\nCreate a database of customer questions and answers and train employees to use it. The goal is to respond with the same answer every time. When a customer doubts the answer and calls back only to get a different answer from a different employee, it erodes the customer\u2019s confidence, not to mention the frustration the customer experiences by not getting the right answer the first time. In short, consistency creates confidence.\r\n\r\nBy the way, if you have any questions about customer service or customer experience, reach out to me on any social media channel \u2013 I\u2019m pretty much everywhere. I\u2019ll answer your question on social media, in my weekly customer service newsletter<\/a>, on my Amazing Business Radio podcast<\/a>, or on my Be Amazing or Go Home<\/a> TV show. And be sure to use the hashtag #AskShep.\r\n\r\n